Universal forms engine

ABSTRACT

A forms engine allows data sharing between customizable on-line forms, such as college admissions applications. Before applying, an applicant opens an account with a third party application servicer. After the applicant completes an application for one institution, the data is saved in a data base and automatically populates fields in subsequent application forms. The form for each institution is created from a form description file. Each form is branded for its institution and forms for different institutions differ in appearance and content so that the presence of the third party servicer is transparent to the applicant. 
     The system is extensible without programming, allowing new applicant attributes to be readily incorporated into the system and allowing the content and appearance of the application to be readily changed by changing the description file. The use of aliases for applicant attributes permits data to be readily shared between forms even though labeled and arranged differently on different forms. Information stored about each attribute allows the specification of data validation rules and data sharing and grouping rules, as well as dependency rules that permit application, page content to depend on applicant&#39;s responses on a previous page.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/673,674, filed Sep. 29, 2003, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/259,219, filed on Sep. 27, 2002, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/991,434, filed onNov. 9, 2001 and issued Oct. 1, 2002 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,042, whichis a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/325,533, filedJun. 3, 1999 and issued Feb. 5, 2000 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,345,278, whichclaims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/088,123,filed Jun. 4, 1998.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a computer implemented method and apparatus“for processing forms and, in particular, to a method and apparatus forprocessing customizable application forms that share information from‘an extensible database.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The processing of college admission application forms described below isillustrative of the current state of forms processing. Students applyingto colleges and universities typically complete a separate paperapplication for each institution to which they seek admission. Eachapplication is then mailed to the corresponding institution along withan application fee.

Many institutions would like to simplify the application process byallowing students to apply over the Internet. Although an Internetapplication allows an institution to process the application informationelectronically, a student is required to re-enter the same informationfor each subsequent application to a different institution or to thesame institution for a different academic term. Moreover, if theinstitution wishes to change the application form, the institution musttypically revise the source code that creates the application form,thereby making changes to the application form expensive andinconvenient.

One could reduce redundancy in the application process by allowingstudents to complete a single, generic application provided by a thirdparty who would then transmit the application to any designatedinstitution. Such systems, however, would make it impossible forinstitutions to customize their applications form. In an environmentwhere schools are competing for top students, the image that a schoolprojects to potential students is important, and a customizedapplication can help project the image that the school wishes to create.The questions that a school asks on its application reflect the valuesof the institution. Many schools want information different from thatwhich would be on a generic form. Thus, it is unacceptable to manyinstitutions to use a generic application form.

Most institutions continue, therefore, to use primarily paperapplications or their own on-line applications, with the disadvantagesdescribed above. Moreover, the institution must then process theapplication fee for on-line applications, which may require that theinstitution have some expertise in electronic commerce.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved method of processing forms.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such amethod that allows data sharing between customizable forms, thecustomization including branding of forms to specific institutions.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide such a methodthat uses an extensible data-sharing database.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide animproved method of processing admissions applications.

The present invention comprises a universal forms engine that permitsthe creation and processing of customizable electronic forms andselective sharing of information between the customized forms. A userthus enters data only once, and the data is shared through an extensibledatabase between disparate forms. The forms are completed by a user overa computer network and information from each completed form is forwardedto the appropriate entity over a computer network. The ability of theforms engine to present a form for user input, to receive data from theuser, and to provide the data to the appropriate entity is independentof the computing platform of the user and the entity. Any feesassociated with the forms can be processed electronically over acomputer network together with the forms.

The invention thus creates forms, parses data on forms, stores data,retrieves the data, and deploys the data onto other forms. As additionalforms are completed and additional information becomes part of thedatabase, the amount of information that must be manually entered on newforms decreases because the new forms are automatically populated withthe previously entered data.

A form is considered to be essentially a container for data and impliesan associated process. The forms engine integrates the form, the data,and the processing regardless of the appearance of the form, the type orsignificance of the data, and the processing that follows collection ofthe data.

Metadata, that is, information that characterizes the applicant data isalso stored. For example, in one embodiment, an attribute tabledescribes characteristics, such as permissible values and accessibilityto various institution personnel, of applicant attribute data. Inanother embodiment, such properties of the applicant attributes arestored in XML files. Storing metadata provides greater control over thedata validation, sharing between forms, grouping, and access.

User information and application information are abstracted from thecoding, that is, the user information and application information isstored in away that allows the application information and the userinformation to be changed without reprogramming. This abstraction allowsthe set of user data to be extended without reprogramming, allows theuser data to be displayed in different formats in differentapplications, allows the data to be validated to ensure that it can beused by the institutions, and eases access to the information over theWeb by institutions. Abstracting the application information allows theapplication itself to be readily changed, and allows changes, such aschanges to application dates, to be made by the institutions themselves.The abstracted information is saved, for example, in a relationaldatabase or in an XML file.

The subject matter of the present invention is particularly pointed outand distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification.However, both the organization and method of operation, together withfurther advantages and objects thereof, may best be understood byreference to the following description taken in connection withaccompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to likeelements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a network through which applicants, a servicer, andinstitutions are connected in a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows an entry web page presented to an applicant of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a web page showing the results of an on-line college searchthat provided the link to the entry web page of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a web page for creating a new account with the servicer ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing schematically how accounts are created in apreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 6 a-6 d show a web page used to supply directions and informationto the applicant of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 shows an applications options page that provides the applicantwith links to an application instruction page.

FIGS. 8 a-8 d shows an application instruction page for an on-lineapplication.

FIGS. 9 a-9 c shows the first page of an on-line admissions application.

FIGS. 10 a-10 c shows the second page of an on-line admissionsapplication.

FIGS. 11 a and 11 b shows the third page of an on-line admissionsapplication.

FIG. 12 a-12 d shows the fourth page of an on-line admissionsapplication.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing schematically the interactions between theapplicant, the forms engine and the applicant database during initialaccess of an application form.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing schematically the interactions between theapplicant, the forms engine and the applicant database as data is postedfrom an application form.

FIG. 15 shows a flowchart of the interactions shown in FIGS. 13 and 14.

FIG. 16 shows the steps shows the steps that occur in a preferredembodiment when an applicant contacts the forms engine.

FIG. 17 shows the “back-end” states available during applicationprocessing.

FIG. 18 is a simplified example of classes used in an object-orientedprogramming implementation of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The system according to a preferred embodiment of the present inventioncomprises a forms engine that processes applications for admission toinstitutions. The preferred embodiment, which is operated by a thirdparty application servicer, uses relational databases for storinginformation and communicates with applicants and institutions over theWorld Wide Web. The invention is not limited, however, to the processingof any particular type of form or to the use of any particular networkor database.

OVERVIEW OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows multiple applicant computers 14 that communicate with aserver 16 through the portion of the Internet 18 known as the World WideWeb (the Web). A. typical applicant computer 14 comprises a personalcomputer, such as a Pentium-based personal computer using aWindows-based operating system and running a commercially available WebBrowser, such as Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer. In, apreferred embodiment, applicant computers 14 can use an older,text-based browser, because processing, such as error checking, isperformed at server 16, rather than at the client browser.

Server 16 is a computer, such as a Sun Solaris UltraSparc Server, thatis executing a forms engine of the present invention, as well as Webserver software that coordinates communications with visitors to theform engine Web site. Information and forms transferred from server 16are typically formatted in a hypertext mark-up language (HTML) and caninclude text, programs, graphics, video, and audio portions. Server 16is preferably operated by a third party application servicer 24 and isconnected to secure data storage 26. Multiple institution computer 28,operated by institutions, such as colleges or universities that requireadmissions applications, also communicates with server 16 over theInternet 18.

Although the preferred embodiment of the invention is implemented usingan Internet Web site, the invention is not limited to any particulartype of computer or computer network. By making the applicationsavailable over the Web, any applicant with a Web browser can applyelectronically. On-line application also allows the application fee tobe processed on-line, so that credit card settlements, electronic bankwithdrawals, and other payment methods can be performed moreefficiently, and the settlement can be easily facilitated by the thirdparty that operates the application forms engine to which multipleinstitutions subscribe.

FIG. 2 shows an entry page 36 that is presented to an applicant who hasaccessed server 16 of FIG. 1. In a preferred embodiment, entry page 36,as well as all other pages presented to the applicant, is presented asan HTML page. Pages on which the applicant enters information use theHTML <FORM> tag. The HTML form posts information to server 16, whichexecutes a common gateway interface (CGI) program specified by the formto process the received information. The CGI program is preferablywritten in Perl, C, C++, Java, or another language that supports CGI.The CGI program accesses a database that includes information about thecustomized application form and about the applicant. The database ispreferably a relational database that is accessed using a structuredquery language through a database management system, such as Informix®,by Informix Software, Inc., based in Menlo Park, Calif. The invention isnot limited to a particular implementation technology. Theimplementation details of the invention are expected to change ascomputer technology evolves.

Entry page 36 can be accessed from, and can be in the same style as, aninstitution's own world wide web site. Entry page 36 can also beaccessed from other links; for example, by a link 38 (FIG. 3) on aresults web page 40 from an on-line college search, such as theCollegeNET™ System, operated by the assignee of the present invention.Entry page 36 is branded with a logotype 42 branding the application asbelonging to the institution to which it is directed, although theapplication is preferably hosted by a third party to ease data sharingacross institutions and electronic processing of application fees.

Before accessing an application from entry page 36, each applicant isrequired to have an account with the third party servicer 24. Entry page36 includes a link 52 for creating a new account. FIG. 4 shows a webpage form 54 that is presented to the applicant to create a new account.Although the account is with third party servicer 24 and can be used toapply to many institutions, web page form 54 is branded with thelogotype 42 of the institution to which the applicant is applying. Thus,it is transparent to the applicant that the application is beingprocessed by third party servicer 24.

FIG. 5 shows schematically the actions that comprise the accountcreation process 56 required to create an account. The applicant uses aweb client 58, such as Netscape Navigator, to enter personalinformation, such as name, address, email address, and a user name andpassword for accessing the system. The password is encrypted and saved,along with the user name, in a password database 60 connected withserver 16 (FIG. 1) and user information is saved in an applicantdatabase 62, which databases comprise database 26.

Entry page 36 (FIG. 2) also provides an information link 68 to providethe application with directions and information. FIGS. 6 a-6 d show apreferred information web page 70 that is returned to the user inresponse to a request for information. Web page 70 is also branded withlogotype 42 indicating the institution to which the application isdirected. Web page 70 includes an application option page link 72 (FIG.6 d) to the actual application, as does entry page 36. Entry page alsoincludes a link 74 to the user's personal log page. The personal logdescribes the status of all applications the user has worked on,including applications that have been submitted and applications thatare in various stages of completion. Entry page 36 also includes a link76 for changing a user's password.

FIG. 7 shows an applications options page 82 that provides anapplication instruction page link 84, an application link 86, and links92 to supplemental forms, such as a counselor's report or teacherrecommendation forms, that accompany an application. FIGS. 8 a-8 d showsapplication instructions 94 reached from application link 86.

FIGS. 9 a-9 c show the first page of an electronic, on-line admissionsapplication 96 that is customized in content and appearance for aparticular institution. As shown in FIG. 9 a, each application isindividually “branded,” that is, it carries the name and logotype 42 ofthe institution and appears in a style that is representative of theinstitution. Thus, it is transparent to the applicant that a third partyis servicing the application, that is, the applicant may not even beaware that the application is processed by a third party servicer. Inaccordance with the invention, the third party servicer providescustomized forms for each participating institution, and data is sharedbetween the customized applications. Information that had previouslybeen entered in connection with prior applications to any institution isautomatically inserted into the customized form. Information entered bythe applicant onto the application form is stored in an applicantdatabase for automatic insertion into subsequent applications by thatapplicant. The HTML source code for page 1 is attached in Appendix 1.FIGS. 10 a-10 c, FIGS. 11 a-11 b, and FIGS. 12 a-12 d show additionalpages of application 96.

FIG. 13 shows schematically the interrelationship when supplying a formpages to an applicant between a forms engine 104 of the presentinvention, applicant database 62, password database 60, and web browserclient 58 running on applicant computer 14. FIG. 13 shows that formsengine 104, preferably implemented as a CGI program, performs fourprimary functions. When the applicant requests an application form for aparticular institution and the request is authenticated by comparing thepassword with the password in the password database 60, forms engine 104retrieves user information regarding the status of applications that arepending or completed.

Forms engine 104 then generates a customized application form based uponan application description in an application data file 108. Forms engine104 then retrieves user data that was entered in previous applicationsand stored in the applicant database 62, and merges the user data intothe current application, which is then returned to the applicant as anHTML form. The applicant then enters any requested information that wasnot automatically inserted from the database.

Application 96 includes fields for the applicant to enter the specificinformation the institution requests of its applicants. The informationis requested in a format chosen by the institution. The style andcontent of the customized application expresses the values held by theinstitution. The customized content of each application allows theschool to obtain specific information that it chooses: to characterizeits applicant pool, including factors that it believes may correlatewith student success at the particular institution.

FIG. 14 shows schematically the interactions between forms engine 104,applicant database 62, and web client 58 with respect to forms engine104 receiving data posted from the applicant. Forms engine 104 performsa “front-end” validation on the posted data 118. Data validation isexplained in detail below. If the data fail validation, a datacorrection page is sent to the applicant. If the data pass first stagevalidation, the next application page is prepared by merging applicantinformation from the applicant database 62 with form information inapplication data file 108 and sending the resulting HTML applicationpage to the applicant.

After all the pages have passed first stage validation and the applicantattempts to submit the completed application to the institution, asecond stage validation is performed. If the second stage validation issuccessful, user data 120 is written to the applicant database 62 andpayment scripts 122 are executed in which the user is given an option toselect any one of several of on-line payment methods. Credit cardinformation is verified from a credit card database 124. After theinformation on the application is validated, it is transferred to theinstitution in a data format specified by the institution. Theinformation is also stored for use in subsequent applications in anapplicant database 62, which is independent of the institution.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the products at each step of processingby forms engine 104 described in FIGS. 13 and 14. Optional steps areshown in dashed lines. FIG. 15 shows that an applicant 126 contactsforms engine 104 by a browser request for an application. Beforepresenting an application page to an applicant, forms engine 104determines the state of the application process, and only presentsappropriate pages to the applicant. For example, most institutions haveapplication date windows during which applications, whether electronicor paper, for a particular term are accepted. The forms engine verifiesthat the application is being submitted within the allowed window.Unlike pre-printed paper applications, however, the invention providesthe schools the flexibility of easily changing the application datewindow, so that the time to apply can be extended if the institutionwants to receive additional applications.

Forms engine 104 uses data from the appropriate application data file108 (FIG. 14) and previously entered user data to generate a page of aform 128. Data 130 is entered on the form page, by the applicant or fromthe database, and the page undergoes a first stage data validation 13.6upon being posted by the applicant. A correction page form is submittedto the applicant each time a data validation fails, and the data issaved to the database upon successful validation. The process isrepeated for additional pages until the form is completed and theapplicant submits the form.

When the applicant indicates that the application is ready to besubmitted to the institution, a final, more thorough validation 136,known as second stage validation, is performed on the data. Second stagevalidation ensures that information required by the specific institutionto which the application is directed is present and that the informationmeets certain content criteria specified by the institution. The datavalidation is customized for each institution. If the application failssecond stage validation, a data correction page is returned to theapplicant. The validated, submittable data 140 is stored in applicantdatabase 62 in connection with the application. The data is thenprocessed and transformed 142 as described below in connection withaliases, and saved for use in other forms that the applicant maycomplete in the future. A payment 148 is then processed and applicationtransaction processing 150 is completed. The forms engine then convertsthe application information into a form compatible with theinstitution's internal databases and delivers the information 152 to theinstitution's database 154.

When the applicant subsequently applies to a different institution or toa different program within the same institution, a new application,customized for the different institution, is presented to the applicant.Information that was entered onto previously submitted applications isretrieved from the database and presented to the applicant as populatedfields of the new application, so that the applicant is not required toenter information more than once. The applicant can change the values ina pre-populated field if desired and the new values are saved for use insubsequent applications.

As described in more detail below, information about the applicants ismaintained as a set of attributes, each attribute corresponding todatabase fields. If an institution chooses to include in its applicationa request for an applicant attribute that does not correspond to oneincluded in the database, the database is easily extended to include thenew applicant attributes without reprogramming the forms engine. Oncethe new attribute is added to the database, it is available forautomatic inclusion in all subsequent applications.

In the preferred embodiment, each attribute used to characterizeapplicants has a unique identifier or alias. The unique identifierallows the engine to recognize when the same information is beingdescribed by different labels or entered in a different format ondifferent application forms. The information can then be saved properlyand inserted into subsequent applications, regardless of differences inthe entry format and labels in the first and subsequent applications.Thus, the variables can be universal and unique data elements havingdifferent names can be shared among applications.

For example, one institution on its application may refer an applicantslast name as a “family name” while another institution may refer to thelast name as “surname” or a “last name,” yet the forms engine wouldshare the data properly between such application forms. As anotherexample, if a first application form requests multiple choice-typeinformation in the form of radio buttons and the second form requeststhe same information in the form of a pull-down menu, informationentered on the first form in the radio buttons would appear in apull-down menu box on the second form.

While providing the institution flexibility to designate and request theinformation any way it chooses on its customized application, theinformation is retrievable onto subsequent applications regardless ofhow the subsequent applications label or display the information. Theforms engine of the present invention can thus share information acrossapplications, regardless of how the information is expressed in aparticular application, unless the data has been designated as describedbelow as private to a particular application and not shareable.

Each applicant attribute is characterized by one or more properties. Theproperties that characterize an applicants' attributes can specify, forexample, whether and under what conditions the attribute data can beshared between forms, whether the attribute is a universally requiredfield, or whether the attribute is specific to a particular geographicregion. For example, an attribute named “California Driver LicenseNumber” is applicable only to institutions in California. Otherinformation may be applicable to all institutions within a region butnot to other institutions. Some applicant attributes are applicable onlyto institutions in a particular school system. Individual pieces ofinformation can also be grouped and properties can be specified for thegroups. The application can also include information that designates therouting of the information to groups, such as financial aid officers,within the institution.

The invention not only allows an application to be customized for eachinstitution, it allows the information submitted by the applicant to betransmitted to each institution in any data format that the institutionrequests so the institution is not required to convert the data to auseable format. For example, multiple fields, such as first name andlast name, may be combined into a single field, and the data fields maybe delimited by a delimiter specified by the institution. Data may alsobe transmitted to the institution, for example, as name-value pairs, asfixed records, in EDI, or printable PDF format. Thus, the applicantinformation is entered in a customizable form on a browser running onany type of computer platform and stored at third party servicer 24 in adatabase. The information in the database is then reloadable intoanother customizable application form for a different institution. Theinformation is also transmittable to an institution in its preferredformat regardless of the platform used by the institution to process theinformation.

After an application is sent to an institution, the information remainsavailable in the database of the third party servicer for furtheranalysis by the institution. The institution can, for example, sort orview applicants based upon attributes such as test scores, grade pointaverage, participation in sports, or musical talent. Moreover, eachapplicant attribute has a property that can be used to specify who inthe institution has access to the attribute for the purpose of uploadingthe information or of processing the information to characterize theapplicant pool. For example, parts of an application dealing withacademic background may be viewable by academic departments, whereasmore personal information may be viewable only by school administrators.

A preferred implementation of the invention comprises a single formsengine program, a single applicant database, including information onall applicants, and one application data file for each differentapplication of each the participating institutions. The application datafile describes the format of each application, and the forms enginedisplays information from the database in the format prescribed by theapplication data file.

The applicant database can be extended to include new attributes withoutmaking any changes to the forms engine program or to the applicationfiles of institutions that chose not to include the new data. The formsengine automatically uses the application data file to produce therequested application in HTML format for display on the applicant'sbrowser. The application description file can be easily modified, forexample, to change labels or to add additional fields. The appearance ofthe application for each institution can be changed by changing itsapplication description file, without reprogramming the forms engine.The completed application is transmitted to the institution with thedata in any format that the institution prefers. The institution cantherefore upload the data directly into its applicant or studentinformation system database, merging the information seamlessly intotheir existing work flow, thereby avoiding the additional expense anderrors of re-keyboarding the information. The forms engine thus has thecapability of outputting application information universally acrossplatforms.

A transactions database table and a transactions operations table trackcompleted transactions and operations to assist the engine inmaintaining information about the state of each application, so thatonly appropriate pages are presented to the applicant. These tables alsoallow the applicant to track the progress of his or her applications andonline payment.

Database Structure

The tables described below are used in a preferred college admissionforms processing system. The invention can be used for processing manydifferent types of forms without departing from the scope of theinvention, and skilled persons will recognize that different databasestructures will be required in different applications.

Attribute Table

A first database table, the Attribute Table, includes a list of allattributes that can be used to describe an applicant. The AttributeTable thus defines the variable space for the entire system. Eachattribute, such as Name, Social Security Number, and SAT score, isrepresented by one row of the Attribute Table and is identified by aunique Attribute Identification Number. The Attribute Table includesproperties of each attribute, such as whether the attribute is arequired field for first stage validation (explained below) and whetherthe attribute is part of a data group, such as a geographical region oran institutional group. The Attribute Table also includes references tofirst stage validation rules, if any, for each attributes. The AttributeTable does not include values of the attribute for any particularapplicant.

User Attribute Table

The values assigned to attributes for individual applicants are storedin a User Attributes Table. Each row of the table includes a UserIdentification, an Attribute Identification Number, a sequence for theAttribute Identification Number, and a data value. When an applicantenters information on an application page on the Web and posts the formto the server, the information entered by the applicant is stored in theUser Attribute Table after first stage validation. The form is postedwhen the applicant switches to another page or when the applicantindicates that the information is to be saved. An applicant may changethe values of an attribute from one application to another. For example,an applicant may change his or her SAT scores to reflect new testresults.

The User Attribute Table always includes the latest information that anapplicant had entered and is used to supply information for newapplications. When the user calls up an application to complete, date isread from the User Attribute Table. When a new application includesattributes that were not requested by any application that the userpreviously completed, a new row corresponding to the new attribute isinserted into the User Attribute Table. Preferably a single UserAttribute Table includes the attribute information on all applicants inthe systems.

User Attribute Sent Table

After an application is completed and it passes second stage validation,the information contained in the application is stored in a UserAttributes Sent Table, which represents a snapshot of the submittedapplication. The structure of the User Attribute Sent Table is verysimilar to that of the User Attribute Table. The primary key of the UserAttribute Table is a user identifier (the users log-on name), whereasthe primary key of the User Attribute Sent Table is a TransactionIdentifier, which identifies a unique combination of user, application,and application term. Thus, there can be multiple records for a singleuser in the User Attribute Sent Table if the user has submitted multipleapplications or the same application for different application terms.

The Transaction Identifier is the same identifier used in theTransactions Table, described below. Thus, one can scan the TransactionsTable for Transaction Identifiers that correspond to applications thatare shown as having been submitted, and then use those identifier tolook up data related to those applications in the User Attribute Senttable.

Second stage validation is performed before writing a record into theUser Attribute Sent Table and may, for example, combine fields such aslast name and first name into a single field. Thus, the User AttributeSent table shows exactly what was sent to the institution, and thereforeincludes a record for each application that was completed by a user. Toreview what data was sent, the institution reviews information derivedfrom the records in the User Attribute Sent Table, which are then putinto a format requested by the institution.

Applications Table

Each customized application is represented within an Applications Table,which defines the data set for each application. Each row in theApplications Table pertains to one attribute in a specific applicationand includes information such as an Application Identification Number,Attribute Identification Number, Attribute Sequence Number within theapplication, any second stage validation rules (described below), theIdentification Number of the institution to which the applicationbelongs, etc.

Application Data File

The Application Data File is a specially formatted text file that actsas an application description. It is a series of “directives” andoptional arguments which the forms engine parses to build the HTML formand to merge in user data. The directives are interpreted by means of alook-up in a data structure that stores the directive interpretations.For example, a line in the Application Data File may be “SS_NUM.” Uponencountering the line, the forms engine will look into a data structureto interpret SS_NUM. SS_NUM may mean, for example, to display a text boxwith a label that reads “Enter Your Social Security Number” and to putthe previously supplied value for social security number (stored in theUser Attribute Table) into the text box. SS_NUM may also prescribe aminimum length, maximum length, and call a function that creates thetext input box. The directive could also set flags that indicate aparticular state for the application. The Application Data File canoptionally supply arguments to directives. Arguments may, for example,instruct the forms engine to apply specific labels or to overridedefault values, so that the label or format for entering the data can becustomized. The information in the Application Data File couldalternatively be included in the Applications Table.

In an alternative embodiment, rather than having the applicationinformation stored as directives and building the application whenever astudent invokes it on-line, the application is built by a pre-processorutility that is run once to produce an “application template” with aregularized syntax. In other words, an Application Data File entry suchas “SS_NUM” is replaced by a template line such as “SS_NUM|ITEXT|SocialSecurity Number: |11|11”.

In the previously described embodiment, the Application Data File linesrepresent function calls with optional arguments. The forms engineexecutes these function calls, which in turn execute aform-element-producing function like “ITEXT” which produces a text box.Thus, the forms engine not only needs to have available hundreds offunctions, it also has to do two (or more) layers of function executionfor each line in the Application Data File.

In the alternative embodiment, most of this processing is performedoff-line during the application development phase, and the results ofthe processing are saved in the template file. The on-line forms enginethen pulls in this “pre-digested” template file. Each line of thetemplate file is a pipe (“|”) separated list of: (1) variable name; (2)form element [for example, form element ITEXT is textbox, IRADIO isradio button(s), etc.]; (3) question label; and (4) arguments needed bythe form element function.

Whereas the forms engine in the first embodiment is analogous to aninterpreter, executing a shell script, the template in the secondembodiment is analogous to compiled code. The pre-processing isanalogous to a compilation phase, and the output template file isanalogous to a binary object. It is composed of instructions to theengine, like compiled code is composed of instructions to the CPU,whereas the bulk of the forms engine in the first embodiment comprisescode to do the interpretation, the forms engine in the second embodimenthas a very small instruction set: basically one instruction per formelement, plus a handful of special instructions.

The template file gives the application developer absolute freedom toquickly update the application with no need to rewrite or add programcode to the forms engine. Use of templates also dramatically reduces thenumber of functions needed by the engine, as well as the executionoverhead.

The template file can be in the form of specially tagged HTML; that is,instead of a line-by-line set of directives, the template can look likeHTML with embedded special tags representing the formelement/variable/value to interpolate.

Below is an example, simplified for clarity, of a part of a templaterepresented in a specially tagged HTML:

<H1>Biographical Information</H1>  <OL>   <LI>  <QUESTION ATTR_ID=“53”ARGS=“SS_NUM|ITEXT|11|11”   VALRULE=“Reg( );Int(-,);Len(9)”>Please  enter your Social Security Number:  </QUESTION>  </LI>  <LI> <QUESTION ATTR_ID=“106” ARGS=“BIRTH_DATE|DATEMDY”   VALRULE=“Reg()”>P1ease enter your birth   date (MMDDYY):  </QUESTION>  </LI> </OL>

To process the template, the forms engine need only look for <QUESTION>. . . </QUESTION> sections and parse them. Many other pieces of logiccould also be embedded into the templates. The output of the processedtemplate is an HTML form that is viewable by the student completing theapplication. The output from the above template snippet could look likethis, with the special QUESTION tags converted into HTML form elementsand user data incorporated:

<H1>Biographical Information</H1>  <OL>  <LI>   Please enter your SocialSecurity Number:   <INPUT TYPE=“TEXT” NAME=“SS_NUM”   VALUE=“200-00-0000” SIZE=11 MAXLENGTH=11>   </INPUT>  </LI>  <LI>  Please enter your birth date (MMDDYY):   <NOBR><INPUT TYPE=“TEXT”NAME=“mdy1_BIRTH_DATE”    VALUE=“09” SIZE=2 MAXLENGTH=2></INPUT>     <INPUT TYPE=“TEXT” NAME=“mdy2_BIRTH_DATE”       VALUE=“17” SIZE=2MAXLENGTH=2></INPUT>      <INPUT TYPE=“TEXT” NAME=“mdy3_BIRTH_DATE”      VALUE=“1966” SIZE=4 MAXLENGTH=4></INPUT>     </NOBR>     </LI>   </OL>

The above page is then transferred to the user.

Institutions Table

The Institutions Table includes a row for each institution. Each rowincludes an Institution Identifier, an Institution Name, an identifierfor a parent institution if any, and other information about theinstitution.

Institutions can also be arranged in a hierarchy, with one institutionbelonging to another institution. The Institutions Table allows theconstruction of an arbitrary hierarchy of institutions, which can beused to control data access. Information in the Contact Table (describedbelow) and Attribute Table is combined with information in theInstitutions Table to determine access to particular attributes inapplications. For example, a financial aid officer in the medical schoolof a university may have access only to financial information on themedical school application, whereas a financial aid officer of theuniversity or of the university system may have access to financialinformation on all applications. Thus, the invention permits flexiblecontrol of data down to the attribute level.

Institutions can be grouped geographically or by other characteristics.The Institutions Table can have fields indicating to which groups theinstitution belongs. Thus, the forms engine can control attributes thatare relevant only to institutions in a particular group.

Contact Table

The Contact Table specifies the database access privileges of peoplewithin an institution. For example, an administrator at a stateuniversity system may have access rights to data from applications toall universities within the system, whereas an administrator at aparticular school may have access only to applications to that school.

Each row in the Contact Table includes a unique Contact Identifier, anInstitutional Identifier, which defines the institution or group ofinstitutions to which access is granted, and the operations which thecontact is permitted. For example, a contact may be granted rights toacknowledge receipt of an application, to transfer application datausing a file transfer protocol (FTP), or to receive a printable,non-editable version of completed application.

The Contact Table can also contain additional useful information, suchas the e-mail address or last log-in time for the contact.

Terms Table

The Terms Table indicates the application terms that are currentlyavailable. Each row of the Terms Table includes a unique TermIdentifier, a Term Key, the start and expiration dates for applicationsto the institution for the term, a text description of the term, and aninstitution-defined Term Code. The institution defined Term Code is usedwhen data is uploaded to the institution so that the data is seamlesslyloadable into the institution's information system. TheInstitution-Application Table described below defines the applicationsavailable for each institution and includes a term key field thatidentifies the terms for which the application can be used.

Institution-Application Table

One institution, represented by a row in the Institutions Table, can ownseveral applications, each of which is represented by a row in theInstitution-Application Table. For example, an institution may have oneapplication for freshman undergraduate students, another for transferundergraduate students, yet another for international students, etc.

The Institution-Application Table includes one row for each applicationowned by an institution and relates the information in the ApplicationsTables to the Institution described in the Institutions Table. Each rowin the Institution-Application Table includes an Application Identifier,an Institution Identifier, status of the application, type of theapplication, and information pertinent to the particular application(i.e., name campus, etc.). Each row also includes a Term Key, which isused with the Term Table to determine which terms are currentlyavailable for applying using the application. TheInstitution-Application Table can also include information about theapplication processing fee and how the fee is allocated between theinstitution and the processor.

Transaction Operations Table

Each time an applicant performs an operation, such as saving a page ofinformation, the operation is assigned a unique Operation IdentificationNumber and a new row is added to the Transaction Operations Table. Eachrow of the Transaction Operations Table includes the unique OperationIdentifier, a Transaction Identifier (described below with theTransaction Table), a code indicating which operation the rowrepresents, a contact identifier, and a time stamp indicating the dateand time of the operation. Operations include, for example, save, saveand send, acknowledge, secure credit card, no fee, void, and viewprintable application.

The Transaction Operations Table and the Transaction Table describedbelow are used to maintain state information.

Transaction Table

A Transactions Table includes information about each user transaction,that is, each application that a user has accessed and saved. Each entryin the Transaction Table includes a unique Transaction Identifier, aUser Identifier, an Application Identifier, a Term Identifier, and acode indicating the state of the application. The Transaction Identifierrepresents a unique combination of User Identifier, ApplicationIdentifier, and Application Term. There is exactly one row in theTransaction Table for each Transaction Identifier. The application statecan be, for example, ‘in progress’, ‘submitted’, ‘payment received’, and‘acknowledged by the institution,’ etc. Each entry also includes anorder identifier, a text string that includes the User Identifier, theApplication Identifier and a time stamp. The Order Identifier is usedfor credit card settlement and in correspondence with the institution.

When a user accesses an application, the universal forms engine looksfor an existing transaction involving the user and the requestedapplication and term. If such a transaction exists, the response of theforms engine to the user depends upon the state of the transaction. Ifno such transaction exists, (i.e., this is the first access to thisapplication by the user) a new transaction is begun. A new entry isinserted in the Transaction Table. A Transaction Identifier is assignedwhen the user requests an explicit save operation or a “save and send”operation for the new application. A Transaction Identifier is notassigned merely on the basis of a page flip on a multipage form.

Once the user selects the “Save, Pay and Send” button, the Term, TermIdentifier and Order Identifier fields are populated, and the state isset to indicate the application has been submitted. Upon payment, aPayment Operation field is populated with the Operation Identifier forthe payment operation, and the state is set to indicate that payment hasbeen received. This continues as the transaction travels throughsettlement, acknowledgment, etc.

Applicant Pages

Applicant pages are those presented to the applicant. These includeactual application pages generated by the forms engine and displayedwith labels identifying the requested information and suitable form dataentry elements for applicants to input the requested information.Applications are typically composed of multiple pages.

Another applicant page shows the applicant the status of allapplications the applicant has worked on. This page is produced by a CGIutility that examines the tables described above and produces an HTMLpage showing whether each application has been completed, saved,submitted, or paid and whether it has been acknowledged by the school.

Correction pages are presented to the applicant when first or secondstage validation described below detects missing or incorrect data.

Other pages include those that inform the user when no terms areavailable for accepting applications (that is, the current date isoutside the submission windows) or when a requested application hasalready been submitted for the requested term.

Data Validation

The presence and content of the information is preferably checked at theserver, rather than by the browser on the applicant's computer. Thisreduces the requirements for the browser, so that the applicant is notrestricted to using the latest version of a browser and, as lesscomputation is performed by the browser itself, compatibility problemsare reduced. An applicant can use a character based browser, such asLynx, if he chooses. When information is recalled from the database forinsertion into a new application, it is checked against the contentrequirements of the institution. If the recalled data does not meet thecriteria, the information is requested again from the applicant.

Data validation is performed in two stages. Data is saved both beforeand after each stage of validation. The first stage consists of checksthat are universal to all applications. These checks are done every timea page is submitted, such as when a subsequent page is requested or whena page is saved. For example, first stage validation may check that theapplicant's name is present, that SAT scores are between be 200-800, andthat once the non-digit characters are stripped out of social securitynumbers, a sequence of nine digits not beginning with “9” or “000”remains.

To avoid presenting the applicant with an overwhelming number of fieldsthat fail validation rules at the end of the entire application, it ispreferable to validate as many fields as possible in the first stagevalidation. On the other hand, the number of required fields ispreferably minimized in the first stage, because an applicant may wantto partially complete an application during one session and complete theremaining fields at another time.

Second stage validation is performed when an application is beingsubmitted to an institution and the entire form must be complete. Thesecond stage typically includes more required fields and more specificvalidation rules for submitted data fields. Second stage validation isperformed on the entire data set for the application and validates theinformation in accordance with rules specified by the institution forthe particular application. First, institution specific required fieldsare verified. For example, because some institutions may be willing toprocess an application with the field Hobbies left blank, this field isnot required in first stage validation. If an institution does requirethis field to be complete, an incomplete field will be flagged duringsecond stage validation. After second stage validation is successfullycompleted, the data is ready to be uploaded to the institution.

The Application Table indicates which fields are required for theparticular application. The Application Table also indicates certaindata validation rules, such as permissible values or formats for data.The second stage validation can reformat the data into a formatrequested by the institution. For example, some institutions want thename of the applicant in the form of a single field, with the last namefirst, followed by a comma and then the first name and middle initial.To avoid having applicants enter data more than once to accommodatechanges in format, the information is preferably stored in simpler dataelements, and then combined during second stage validation into theformat requested by the institution.

Dependency rules are checked during second stage validation. Forexample, whether a particular field, such as Alien Registration Number,is required may depend upon the value supplied by the applicant foranother field, such as Citizenship.

A user who is earnestly filling out the application with the intent tosubmit it, could, upon submission, be confronted with manyinstitution-required fields on a large second stage data correctionpage. To minimize the size of that page, the user is given the option ofhaving first stage validation additionally scan the current page'sfields for attributes which will be required by the second stagevalidation process.

Initially this option is active. If the user is presented a datacorrection page, the top of the page has radio buttons and instructionsfor enabling/disabling this feature. The user's choice is maintainedbetween pages via a hidden field in the form(s).

In this manner, as the user progresses through the application, he canenter values for second stage-required fields in a gradual manner viathe first stage validation process, rather than being confronted withmany fields to populate upon submission.

If the user is unable to supply a value at the time, he can disable thisfeature and postpone entering data into the field until he is ready tosubmit the application to the institution.

Attribute Aliasing

Aliasing of attributes refers to a secondary naming scheme developed tocreate a flexible data dictionary. By using Aliasing, an applicationdeveloper can rapidly locate attributes that are defined by system, andavoid creating duplicate attributes that store the same data.

Each attribute alias is a series of descriptors delimited by colons. Forexample, anything relating to address information uses a descriptor of“ADDRESS”; questions relating to the applicant's birth use a descriptorof “BIRTH”.

Thus, the country of birth attribute is named “BIRTH_COUNTRY” but itsalias is “BIRTH:ADDRESS:COUNTRY”. Similarly, the date of birth attributeis named “BIRTH_DATE”, and is aliased as “BIRTH:DATE”.

Permanent address attributes are named “STREET”, “STREET2”, “CITY”,“ZIP”, etc. but the aliases are “ADDRESS:PERMANENT:CITY”,“ADDRESS:PERMANENT:ZIP”, etc.

Mailing address attributes are named “MAIL_STREET”, “MAIL_STREET2”,“MAIL_CITY”, “MAIL_ZIP”, etc. but the aliases are “ADDRESS:MAIL:CITY”,“ADDRESS:MAIL:ZIP”, etc.

The use of Aliasing provides the ability to search for content by akeyword or set of keywords. For example, to find “father's homeaddress”, one could search for all attributes whose aliases contain thedescriptors “FATHER”, “ADDRESS”, and “HOME”.

This search would locate the aliases “FATHER:ADDRESS:HOME.1: STREET”,“FATHER:ADDRESS:HOME.1:CITY”, “FATHER:ADDRESS:HOME.1: COUNTRY”,“FATHER:ADDRESS:HOME.1:TELEPHONE”, which correspond to the variablenames “PERSON_AT_ADDRESS_SINCE.1”, “PERSON_CITY.1” “PERSON_COUNTRY.1”,“PERSON_PHONE.1”, respectively.

One can look at the intersection or union of keyword search results toquickly access desired attributes.

Thus, the aliasing system is used primarily for developing newapplications: not only as a lookup tool, but also to avoid adding as newvariables attributes that already exist. Finally, aliasing ensuresmaximum data-sharing by weeding out duplicates that would split the databetween two name spaces. It is preferable to use this system as theprimary internal naming scheme.

Procedure

FIG. 16 shows the steps that occur in a preferred embodiment when anapplicant contacts the forms engine. Step 156 shows that when anapplication contacts the URL of the forms engine, the forms engine isinvoked and initializes itself by reading in libraries and initializingvariables, such as global constants and data structures. For example, inthe first embodiment of the Application Data File described above, anassociative array of associative arrays that defines the form elementsused by the engine to construct the application form is initialized.

In step 157, the forms engine looks for data posted from the Web pageform. There may be no data at first, but after some information isentered and a page is saved or changed, data will post to the formsengine, which will perform first stage validation on the data. The formsengine then processes input arguments and posted data to determine theapplication state as described below.

Step 158 shows that the forms engine then makes database calls toinitialize variables pertaining to the current admissions application(ID #, fee information, institution, etc.).

Step 159 shows that the forms engines determines which application terms(e.g. “Fall 1999”, etc.) are available for this user/applicationcombination. For example, the user may have already submitted and paidfor a “Fall 1999” application and is now requesting the sameapplication. This request may be to 1) review the submitted applicationor 2) apply for a new term. The engine needs to guarantee that the userdoes not submit the same application more than once per term. The searchengine calculates submission state information to prevent a user fromchanging data in an already submitted application, and then resubmittingit in the mistaken belief that the data would be updated at theinstitution.

There are three outcomes of the calculation of submission state:

a. No currently available terms. Each term has a Begin-Date and an.Expiration-Date. If the current time is before the Begin-Date or afterthe Expiration-Date, that term is unavailable. No terms would beavailable if all application windows for an institution are eitherexpired or have not yet begun, or if the user has applied to allcurrently available terms.

b. User has applied for a term, and has not yet initiated a newtransaction for this application.

c. User has an available “Active,” that is, not submitted or paid,transaction for this application.

In step 160, the engine determines, based upon the availability of aterm and the state of any pending or submitted applications, whichapplication form is required by the user and generates the appropriateapplication form. If the user has an available active transaction, theengine will return the appropriate page of the application in an HTMLform with any previously supplied data already filled in. If the userhas already submitted the application and has no active transactions, an“Already Submitted” page is returned, with hypertext link(s) to“Printable” (uneditable) versions of the submitted application(s), andthe option to fill out the application for a term other than the term(s)already applied for. If there are no available terms, a “No AvailableTerms” page is returned, which gives the user the option to fill out andsave the application, but not submit it until a term is available. Inthe case that the user has previously submitted an application for thespecified term and no other terms are available, a hybrid of the abovetwo pages is returned, with links to printable version(s) of submittedapplication(s) and the option to fill in and save data but not submitthe application until a new term is available.

In step 161, the forms engine reads and parses the “Application DataFile” corresponding to the application to find the appropriate page ofthe application.

In step 162, the engine initializes a user data structure, preferably anassociative array of key/value pairs or a data object in anObject-Oriented implementation Programming using data from the UserAttribute Table.

If data has been posted, the forms engine performs first stage datavalidation in step 163.

If one or more data fail validation, the engine creates a “datacorrection page” and returns it to the user. This page repeats the textof the failed question, displays a message explaining why the datafailed, and repeats the form element pertinent to that datum. When theuser posts this page, first stage validation is applied to the incomingdata, and if one or more are still in error, a new data correction pageis returned. This process continues until all the data for that pagehave passed validation.

As described above, the first stage validation optionally checks forsecond stage required fields, thereby reducing the number of fields thatwill require data entry during the second stage validation. On each datacorrection page, the user has the option to enable/disable this feature.

In step 164, the forms engine outputs an appropriate page to the userdepending upon the engine's state.

The front end, that is, the portion of the forms engine that processesincoming data from the user, is essentially one CGI program thatdetermines the proper action by parsing information coming in from theWeb form in combination with state information from the TransactionsTable. For example, the user could be returning from a data correctionpage, the user may have hit the “save and send” button, or the user mayhave switched pages. The engine may look for posted data and process it,etc.

State

The forms engine can be in one of several possible states afteranalyzing incoming data. For example, the data may have failedvalidation and the forms engine, therefore, needs to output datacorrection page, or a user may have requested to go to page “x”, so theforms engine needs to create and output page “x”; etc. (see discussionof state, below).

Most interactions between the user and the inventive system are through“front-end processing,” which was described above with respect to FIG.14. The response of the engine is dependent upon the current state. TheWeb, which is the communications conduit the system uses, is bydefinition stateless: When a browser (Web client) submits a request to aWeb server, a connection is made between the two only long enough forthe server to transmit the desired information. The server then dropsthe connection, and any information created by the client/serverinteraction is discarded by the server. The next time the clientconnects to the server, the slate is blank and they start thatinteraction from scratch.

The system needs a way to maintain state information between contacts.The system utilizes two state models to describe the states of twodifferent aspects of the system: a “session state” applies to thefront-end process of creating and returning Web forms, and a“transaction state” pertains to the state of the transaction, that is,the state for a particular user's application to an institution for aspecific term. Transaction states include for example, active orsubmitted or paid or void.

Every page has hidden fields that provide state information. The sessionstate can be determined by parsing the hidden fields returned with data.State information can include, for example, the version number of theapplication and the page that the user previously requested. Forexample, the hidden fields would indicate to the server whether a pageis being returned because the applicant selected “Save, Pay, and Send”or whether the applicant merely requested a page flip. As anotherexample, when first stage validation finds an error and returns a datacorrection page to the user, the data correction page includes hiddenfields that indicate the page that the user was attempting to go to.When the data correction page is submitted, the engine parses the hiddenfields to determine the state and returns the previously requested pageto the user.

The current transaction state for a specific application/usercombination is determined by looking up the application in the data basetables described above. For example, if the applicant requests anapplication for a term for which the applicant has already submitted anapplication, the engine determines that such is the case, and ratherthan returning the application, returns a page stating that theapplication was already submitted. The student is given the option ofviewing the application in a printable, non-editable form, or of openingan application form for another term. The engine screens out the termalready applied for when it returns the application. If no terms arecurrently available, a page is returned that states no terms arecurrently available, but the applicant is permitted to begin completingan application that can be saved until a term is available. In such acase, the “save and send” button is not available until a term isavailable. Thus, applicants can begin completing forms even before aterm is available.

With regard to the front-end state model, the following is a list of thestates the engine defined by the action that caused the engine to be inthat state:

1. “Initial Contact”—The user is requesting the application form fromoutside of the engine. The engine will create the first page of theapplication, merge any matching user data, and return the form.

2. “Page Flip”—For multi-page applications, the user has come from page“x” and wants to go to page “y”. The engine first applies front-endvalidation to the incoming data posted from page “x” (which may resultin returning a data correction page), saves the validated data,generates page “x”, merges any matching user data and returns the form.

3. “Explicit Save”—At the bottom of each page is a button that allowsthem to save the current page of data. Essentially, the action of theengine in this state is identical to the “page flip”, but “x” equals “y”(i.e., the returned page is the same page number as the page postedfrom).

4. “Save and Send”—The user has elected to submit the completed pageposted, saves data, does back-end validation on all data pertaining tothe application, saves data to the User Attribute Sent Table, and passescontrol to the payment server.

5. “Data CRX (Correction) Page”—When either front-end or back-endvalidation has failed, the engine switches to this state, which causesthe form generator to create a data correction page and hide in thatpage state information including the state the engine was in prior toswitching to this state. (For example, if the user is on page 3 andchose to go to page 5, but errant data on page 3 lead to an interveningdata correction page, the data correction page includes hidden dataindicating the page flip to page 5). Once the data are successfullyamended and the user posts the data correction page, the engine detectsthat the prior state was a “page flip” to page 5, and returns page 5 tothe user. Similarly, if the user had selected “save and send” and got anintervening front-end or back-end validation data correction page, oncecorrected the post from that data correction page will then switch theengine into “save and send” mode, and the user will receive the paymentpage from the payment server.

6. “App Terms Page”—This state is entered when the applicant requests anapplication that was already submitted or for which no terms areavailable: (a) an “already submitted” page; or (b) a “no availableterms” page. The engine will return either with hidden stateinformation. When one of these pages is posted, the engine will thencontinually insert additional hidden state information into subsequentforms to ensure future behavior is in accordance with selection(s) theuser made on those pages.

7. “Print Engine”—The engine is being called in print mode to deliver a“printable” (i.e., non-form) version of the application/user data.

8. “Exit”—The user has chosen the ‘Finish Session’ button on theapplication page, and the engine passes control to the user activityCGI, which displays a page of information about the applications theuser has worked on and their status.

9. “Search”—The user has selected a search button to aid in theselection of a value for example, a country. The engine saves anyvalidated data and displays a search page, which contains links back tothe page of the application the user left. These links also cause theselected value to be passed into the engine, which then displays itappropriately in the form.

FIG. 17 shows the back-end state model for an application, and thecorresponding transaction operations that cause changes between states.Null state 172 is the state after an application has been created butbefore the application has been posted by the applicant. The applicationswitches into the active state 178 when the applicant saves a page ofthe application or when the applicant attempts to save a page and anerror prevents the page from being saved. When the application issubmitted, it enters a submitted state 180. The applicant is preferablygiven a warning that no changes can be made to the application afterpayment is made and is given the option to amend the application. If theapplicant indicates a desire to amend the application, or if theapplication fee is not paid, the application returns to active state178. If the applicant request a fee waiver or the applicant indicatesthat he desires to pay by check, the application enters a hold state 182until the check clears or the fee waiver is approved by the institution.Fee waivers are used by institutions to encourage applications fromqualified individuals who may not be able to afford the application fee.

After the application is submitted, the applicant pays for theapplication, which enters a paid state 184 until the payment isacknowledged by the institution or settled. In the paid state 184 andsubsequent states, the application can be viewed for printing by theapplicant or downloaded by a batch transfer or file transfer protocol bythe institution. The application is then acknowledged by the institutionand the payment is settled. Depending upon whether the acknowledgment orsettlement occurs first, the application enters an acknowledged state186 or a settled-preacknowledgment state 192. After both settlement andacknowledgment occur, the application enters a completed state 190. Theapplication can enter a void state 194 if it becomes unuseable, forexample, because an applicant cancels the application or withdrawspermission to provide the application information to the institution.Voided applications are maintained in a separate database table.

Data Formatting

When application information is uploaded and acknowledged by theinstitution, the original application information remains archived inthe applicant database in the User Attributes Sent table. Theapplication can be printed, re-uploaded, etc. Institutions can requestinformation related to all or a subset of their applications to see, forexample, what new applications have been sent and the status of variousapplications. The data is available for data manipulation, such as forsorting on fields or presenting application information in variousdatabase views. For example, a school can look at applications sorted bytest scores. The school could also look at all applications of studentsfrom a particular geographical area, or students who play a particularsport or instrument. The institution can perform statisticalcorrelations between information on the application and grades achievedat the institution after matriculation to determine what characteristicsof applicants correlate with success at the institution.

Not only are the individual data elements tailored to the specificationsof a particular institution, the entire data set is formatted to conformto that institutions needs. The data formats may include 1) commaseparated values, 2) tab delimited values, 3) fixed length formats, 4)name/value pairs, and 5) EDI 189. For all of these methods, of course,the data is ordered as required (e.g., Social Security number first,last name second, high school name 33rd, etc.).

The format of the entire data set is done via back-end utilities thatrun on the server and that utilize specially formatted text filescontaining data formatting descriptions and additional data-manipulationrules. These utilities are triggered when the institution's contactperson accesses the administrative utility on the forms engine serverand chooses to upload data sets.

Another implementation of the invention uses object-oriented programmingand the Extensible Markup Language (XML), which is used to create acustomized mark-up language related to applications processing. In thisembodiment, most of the information about each applicant is stored in anXML file corresponding to that applicant, although some basic accountinformation about each applicant is still maintained in a data table.Information about each application is stored in an XML applicationdescription file. This implementation requires fewer files, therebysimplifying maintenance and reducing the run time overhead associatedwith reading and reconstructing applications from multiple files. Firstand second stage validation rules are maintained in the XML applicationdescription file. Unlike the previously described embodiment,initialization is only required when the web server is started, becausethe application persists, along with its database connections, as longas the server is operating.

An XML parser, typically written in Perl, parses the XML applicationdescription source file and invokes programs that implement by creatingand saving binary objects the features specified by the XML tags. Forexample, the text between a <begin page> tag and an <end page> tag isused to create a page object having attributes defined by the textbetween the tags. Similarly, an object corresponding to an element of apage is created based upon the text between a <begin element> tag and an<end element> tag. The created objects define the application that ispresented to the applicant.

FIG. 18 shows examples of binary objects created by the XML parser andthe relationships between some of the objects. For example, FIG. 18shows, that a page object 204 can include one or more element object206, groups objects 208, and table objects 210. An element object 206,which can be instantiated for example as a question on the application,includes a pre-text element 212 and a post-text element 214corresponding to text associated with the question, an input fieldelement 216, and any validation rule elements 218. Groups objects 208may also include a pre-text element 212 and a post-text element 214, aswell as element objects 206, other group objects 208, and table objects210. Table objects 210 can include table header objects 220 and rowelement objects 222. Skilled programmers can write many classes tocustomize an application and will understand that FIG. 18 is a greatlysimplified example used to demonstration the principles of theembodiment.

The group object allows multiple elements to be associated with a groupand eases the implementation of an adaptive application, in which thecontent of application pages sent to an applicant may depend upon theapplicant's answers in previous pages. Whether an element or group isdisplayed depends upon the value of a display attribute, which can beused to specify the conditions under which the object is displayed onthe screen or in printed reports. For example, a group of questions maybelong to a “non-U.S. citizen” group object. Questions belonging to thenon-U.S. citizen group object may request information such as visa type,alien registration number, and country of origin. If the applicantanswers that he is a U.S. citizen, elements in the “non-U.S. citizen”group are not displayed. An adaptive application would also be usefulfor a higher education system that includes multiple schools orcampuses. A single application file could be used, with the questionspresented to the applicant depending upon the particular school theapplicant chooses. Using a single application greatly simplifiesmaintenance of the application form.

Applicant information is similarly saved in an applicant XML file.Unlike the application description XML file, the applicant file ischanged as information is posted by the applicant. Thus, the applicantXML file is re-saved each time that data is posted by the applicant.

Although the present invention has been described using an embodimentthat processes college admission application forms, it is not limited tothat application, but is applicable to processing any form, such asemployment forms and student loan forms, such as for the PLUS studentloan program.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown anddescribed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that manychanges and modifications may be made without departing from theinvention in its broader aspects. Because the computer and computernetwork fields are changing rapidly, it is expected that implementationof the invention will change significantly as technology evolves. Theparticular programming language and the type of database can be varieddepending on the preferences of the programmer. Such changes inimplementation, however, do not depart from the spirit and scope of theinvention. The appended claims are therefore intended to cover all suchchanges and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope ofthe invention.

1. A method of creating and processing over a computer network formsrepresenting applications for admission to different institutions,comprising: creating in response to a request from an applicant for anapplication to a first institution a first application form customizedin accordance with the preferences of the first institution, the firstapplication form including data fields for entering applicantinformation; providing to the applicant over a computer network thefirst application form; entering the applicant information in the datafields; posting the first application form to a server; storing theapplicant information in a data storage; creating in response to arequest from the applicant for an application to a second institution asecond application form customized in accordance with the preferences ofthe second institution, the second application form including datafields for entering applicant information; inserting into some of thedata fields of the second application applicant information from thedata storage; providing to the applicant over a computer network thesecond application form; entering applicant information into the datafields for entering applicant data into which information was notinserted from the data storage or into which the data inserted from thedata storage is to be changed; posting the second application form tothe server, whereby customized applications to different institutionsshare data through common data storage.
 2. The method of claim 1 inwhich creating a first application form customized in accordance withthe preferences of the first institution includes generating a firstapplication in accordance with stored application descriptioninformation and in which the first application can be modified bymodifying the application description information without rewriting thecomputer program that creates the application.
 3. The method of claim 1in which posting the first application includes verifying thatpre-specified application information is present and meets pre-specifiedcriteria.
 4. The method of claim 1 in which posting the firstapplication and posting the second application each includes the stepsof posting a single page of the application and of posting the completedapplication, and in which posting a single page includes verifying thatsome specific information is present and meets pre-specified criteriaand in which posting the complete application includes verifying thatthe information meets criteria specified by the correspondinginstitution.
 5. The method of claim 1 in which creating an applicationto a first institution includes creating an application identified withthe brand of the first institution and in which creating an applicationto a second institution a second application includes creating anapplication identified with the brand of the second.
 6. The method ofclaim 1 further comprising transmitting the applicant information to thefirst institution in a format specified by the first institution andtransmitting the applicant information to the second institution in aformat specified by the second institution.
 7. The method of claim 6further comprising making multiple applications to the first institutionfrom different applicants available on line to the first institution foranalysis after transmitting the applicant information to the firstinstitution.
 8. The method of claim 7 in which making multipleapplications available to the first institution includes makingapplication information selectively available to various personnel atthe institution.
 9. The method of claim 1 in which storing the applicantinformation is performed by a third party application servicer.
 10. Themethod of claim 9 in which posting the first application and posting thesecond application includes paying application fees for the applicationsand in which the third party servicer processes the application fee. 11.The method of claim 1 in which storing the information includes parsingthe information into elements, the data elements being separately storedand identified, thereby allowing the elements to be separately retrievedand rearranged in subsequent applications.
 12. The method of claim 11 inwhich inserting information from the data storage includes insertinginformation representing combined elements into a single field.
 13. Themethod of claim 1 in which the fields for entering applicant informationinclude labels and in which at least some of the fields in the secondapplication use different labels different from those in thecorresponding fields in the first application, and in which storing theapplicant information and inserting applicant information from the datastorage is independent of the labels used in the application, therebyallowing each institution to customize the appearance of itscorresponding application, while still permitting information to beshared across applications.
 14. The method of claim 1 in which thefields for entering applicant information are formatted and in which atleast some of the fields in the second application are formatteddifferently from those in the corresponding fields in the firstapplication, and in which storing the applicant information andinserting applicant information from the data storage is independent ofthe format used in the application, thereby allowing each institution tocustomize the appearance of its corresponding application, while stillpermitting information to be shared across applications.
 15. The methodof claim 1 in which providing the first application form comprisesproviding multiple pages and in which posting the first application to aserver includes posting multiple pages to the server.
 16. The method ofclaim 15 in which the content of a page of the provided applicationdepends upon information posted in a previous page.
 17. The method ofclaim 1 in which the data storage includes a relational database or XMLfiles.
 18. The method of claim 1 in which the data storage includesstores metadata describing the data.
 19. The method of claim 17 in whichthe metadata includes validation rules for the data.
 20. The method ofclaim 17 in which the metadata specifies the sharing betweenapplications or the accessibility of the data. 21-55. (canceled)